The AFPM Safety Awards Program is part of a comprehensive safety program developed by AFPM’s Safety and Health Committee to promote accident prevention. Qualifications for awards are based on records from the OSHA 300A Summary and API 754 Process Safety Collection.

The safety awards program is open to AFPM Regular Member companies that operate a U.S. refinery or petrochemical manufacturing plant and AFPM Associate Member contractors. Associate members must have their application approved by a regular member operating facility to be eligible for an award.

Download the Safety Statistics & Awards Collection Guidance Document

Award Descriptions

Distinguished Safety Award

The Distinguished Safety Award (DSA) is AFPM’s most prestigious award. The DSA recognizes member companies that have attained an exemplary level of safety performance. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee comprised of members of the AFPM Safety and Health Committee. The Selection Committee carefully examines the safety performance records of individual plant locations using the DSA screening and selection criteria.

Award Levels

  • Distinguished Safety Award (top applicants)
  • NEW Elite Platinum Award (will get a DSA interview but will not be awarded the DSA)
  • Elite Gold Award (top five percent industry safety performance)
  • Elite Silver Award (top ten percent industry safety performance)  

Applicants who do not receive the DSA may be considered for the Elite Platinum, Elite Gold, or Silver Awards, which represents the top one to five percent of the industry’s top safety performers. These awards are presented to those DSA applicants that pass the DSA Screening Criteria and in the judgment of the Selection Committee, have exhibited superior and excellent safety performance and program innovation.

The deadline for the DSA Application for the 2023 year is January 31, 2024.

Innovation Award

The AFPM Innovation Awards, introduced in 2020, recognize refineries, petrochemical facilities, and their contractors that have unique and innovative programs or practices that effectively improve the site's safety performance for either occupational or process safety.

Safety Achievement Awards

In order to qualify for the Safety Achievement Award, a facility must first pass the following screening criteria.

  1. A location must have had no employee workplace related fatalities and no non-employee (contractor, visitor, etc.) workplace related fatalities for the reporting year.
    1. A location must answer NO to the following questions to pass the screening criteria and be eligible to apply for the Safety Achievement Award:
  2. Did the location experience an injury to an employee and/or contractor that required hospitalization (admitted for treatment) during the evaluation period?
  3. Did the location experience a employee and/or contractor recordable injury where any of the following caused or contributed to the injury during the evaluation year?
  • Failure to isolate hazardous energy
  • Opening process equipment improperly prepared for maintenance
  • Improperly prepared or hazardous confined space
  • Improperly prepared or hazardous excavation
  • Any falls from height (>4 feet)
  • Any Tier 1 or 2 PSE
  • Contact /exposure to hazardous materials
    • H2S/HF/hydrocarbon/corrosives/electricity/radiation
  • Crane or rigging failure
  • Caught by machinery or struck by debris, equipment, or falling objects
  • Electrical work or hot work on equipment not verified as hydrocarbon free
  • Failure to verify work permit
  • Failure in PPE chosen for the task or the incorrect PPE for the task
  • Use of the correct tool incorrectly or use of incorrect tool for the task
  • Deliberately bypassing safeguards or interlocks
  • No community evacuation or sheltering event
  1. Did the location experience a community evacuation or sheltering event during the evaluation period?
  2. Did the location have any API RP Tier 1 Process Safety Events (PSE) that required notification to the National Response Center during the evaluation year?

Contractor Safety Achievement Award

This award recognizes maintenance contractors working a minimum of 20,000 hours per the calendar year at a regular member facility.

Download the award application